Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Gonostomatidae (Bristlemouths)
Etymology: Sigmops: Taken from the name of the letter "S, sigma" (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Vaillant.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; non-migratory; depth range 700 - 3000 m (Ref. 4463), usually 2000 - ? m (Ref. 117245). Deep-water; 66°N - 62°S, 180°W - 180°E
Eastern Atlantic: scattered records from 65°30'N, 30°30'W (Ref. 4769) to Namibia; also off Cape Point, South Africa (Ref. 3991). Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). Western Central Atlantic: between 20°N and 5°S. Austral Atlantic and Pacific: between 30° to 35°S.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4769); 20.0 cm SL (female)
Bathypelagic (Ref. 58426). There is marked stratification of size with depth and no diel vertical migrations (Ref. 4769). Initial photophore develops at about 1.1 cm SL (Ref. 4769). Feeds on crustaceans (Ref. 58426).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Sex reversal at about 5-10 cm SL (Ref. 4769). Some males become super males, apparently not undergoing sex reversal and are principal spawners (Ref. 4769). Females spawn at about 11 cm SL (Ref. 4769). Males macrosmatic, females microsmatic (Ref. 4769).
Badcock, J., 1984. Gonostomatidae. p. 284-301. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. volume 1. UNESCO, Paris. (Ref. 4769)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 2.9 - 4.8, mean 3.7 °C (based on 1424 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00172 - 0.00881), b=2.99 (2.79 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.50 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (14 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 26.9 [6.1, 114.6] mg/100g; Iron = 0.387 [0.110, 1.268] mg/100g; Protein = 2.65 [0.00, 6.57] %; Omega3 = 0.197 [0.057, 0.678] g/100g; Selenium = 10.5 [3.1, 44.2] μg/100g; VitaminA = 44.9 [5.2, 373.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.694 [0.309, 1.728] mg/100g (wet weight);